Psalm 85 (Vulgate 84)

We have prayed to the Lord our God to shew us His mercy, and to grant us His salvation. This was spoken in prophecy, when first these Psalms were uttered and written: but as regards the present time, the Lord now sheweth His merey to the nations, and hath granted unto them His salvation. He indeed hath shewn it: but many refuse to be made whole, and to see what He sheweth. But because He Himself healeth the eyes of the heart so that they see Him; therefore having said, Shew us Thy mercy, as if many blind persons would answer, How shall we see when He sheweth? he added, And grant us Thy salvation \ For by granting His salvation, He healeth in us that by which we may be able to see what He sheweth: not as a physician takes care to shew this light to those whose eyes he has cured, when the light which he is to shew is one thing, the physician who heals the eyes to which he shews it another, and not the light itself. Not thus is it with the Lord our God: for He Himself is the Physician, Who cures us that we may see, and He Himself the Light which we become able to see. Let us however run through the whole Psalm, as far as we can, and as the Lord permits, as well as the shortness of time will allow.

2. Its title is, A Psalm for the end, to the sons of Core. Let us understand no other end than that of which the Apostle speaks: for, Christ is the end of the Law, for justification to every one that believeth. Therefore when at the head of the title of the Psalm he placed the words, for the end, he directed our heart to Christ. If we fix our gaze on Him, we shall not stray: for He is Himself the Truth unto which we are eager to arrive, and He Himself the Way by which we run. What is, To the sons of Core? Core is explained as Hebrew word meaning in our language bald. To the sons of Core then means, To the sons of the Bald. Who is he who is bald? Not that we should mock him, but that we The predestined future spoken of as past 167 should mourn before him. For some mocked, and were destroyed by daemons: as in the Book of Kings the children mocked at bald Elisha, and said after him, Thou 6a/rf-2Kings head9 Thou bald-head, and bears came out of the wood,24,23' and destroyed the children who were wicked enough to mock, for whom their parents had now to mourn. This event as by a prophecy signified our Lord Jesus Christ hereafter to come. For He was mocked as if bald by the Jews deriding Him, when He was crucified on the spot of Calvary. If we have believed in Him, we are His sons. To us therefore is that Psalm chanted, which is entitled, To the sons of Core; for we are children of the Bridegroom, He, the Bridegroom, giveth unto his Bride a pledge, His own Blood, and the Holy Spirit, by which He hath enriched us meanwhile in our wanderings: but He yet keepeth for us His hidden riches. What must that be which He keepeth for us, out of which He hath given us such an earnest?

3. Therefore the Prophet singeth to Him of the future, and useth words as it were of past time: he speaks of things future as if already done, because with God that which is future has already taken place. Here then the Prophet saw things future with respect to us, but already past in His providence and most sure predestination; as in that Psalm also, where all acknowledge Christ to be spoken of, for its recitation sounds even as if the Gospel were in reading; They pierced My hands andVs. My feet, they numbered all My bones: they gazed andl6~~~18' stared upon Me, they divided My garments among them, and cast lots upon My vesture. Who, when the reader reads this Psalm, would not recognise the Gospel? And yet the saying in the Psalm is not, they will pierce My hands and My feet; but they pierced; and not, they will number My bones; but they numbered; and not, they will divide My garments, but they did divide My garments among them. All these things which the Prophet saw in the future, he mentioned as if past; so here also, (ver. 1.) Lord, Thou hast been favourable unto Thy land; as if He had already done so.

4. Thou hast turned away the captivity of Jacob. His ancient people of Jacob, the people of Israel, born of Abraham's seed, in the promise to become one day the heir of God. That was indeed a real people, to whom the Old Testament was git-en; but in the Old Testament the ^New was figured: that was the figure, this the truth expressed. In that figure, by a kind of foretelling of the future, there was given to that people a certain land of promise, in a region where the people of the Jews abode; where also is the city of Jerusalem, whose name we have all heard of. When this people had received possession of this land, they suffered many troubles from their neighbouring enemies who surrounded them: and when they sinned against their God, they were given into captivity, not for destruction, but for discipline; their Father not condemning, but scourging them. And after being seized on, they were set free, and many times were both made captives, and set free pand they are now in captivity, and that for a great sin, even because they crucified their Lord. What then are we to understand them to mean by the words, Thou hast turned away the captivity of Jacob? Are we to understand here that other captivity, from which we all desire to be set free? For we all belong to Jacob, if we belong to Abraham's seed. For thus speaketh the Apostle; In Isaac shall thy seed he called: that is, not those who are children of the flesh, these are the children of God, but the children of promise, these are counted as a seed. If the children of promise are counted for the seed, the Jews became degenerate by offending God: we, by deserving well of God, are become the children of Abraham, not according to the flesh, but according to faith. For by imitating his faith, we are become his children, whilst they, by degenerating from his faith, deserved to be disinherited. For, that you may know that they lost their birth from Abraham, when they arrogantly boasted in the hearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, glorying in their blood, not in their life, and saying to the Lord, We have Abraham for our father; the Lord saith unto them^ as degenerate, If ye are the children of Abraham, do ye the works of Abraham. If they then were on that account not children, because they did not Abraham's works; we are therefore children, because we do the works of Abraham. But what are the works of Abraham which we do? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Therefore we all belong to Jacob, imitating Abraham's faith, God's people freed from spiritual captivity. 169 who believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness. What then is that' captivity from which we desire to be set free? For none of us, I suppose, is now among the barbarians, nor has any armed nation rushed upon us and led us captive. But I am now pointing out another captivity, in which we groan, and from which we desire to be set free. Lei the Apostle Paul proceed, let him tell of it: let him be our mirror, let him speak, and let us see ourselves there: for there is no one but may recognise himself there. That blessed Apostle then saith: For I delight in the law of according to the inner man: the law of God delights me within: but I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind. Now thou hast heard of the law, thou hast heard of the battle, but thou hast not yet heard of the captivity; hear what follows: warring against the law of my mind, he says, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin, which is in my members. We acknowledge this captivity, who is. there of us who would not be set free from it? And how shall he be set free? This Psalm hath prophesied in song. Thou hast turned away the captivity of Jacob. To whom did it speak? To Christ; for it said, for the end, for the sons of Core: for He hath turned away the captivity of Jacob. Hear Paul himself confessing. When he said that he was dragged captive by the law in his members warring against the law of his mind, he cried out under that captivity, and said, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? He asked24' who it should be, and straightway it occurred to him, The grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Of this grace of God the Prophet speaketh to our Lord Jesus Christ, Thou hast turned away the captivity of Jacob. Attend to the captivity of Jacob, attend, and see that it is this: Thou hast turned away our captivity, not by setting us free from the barbarians, with whom we had not met, but by setting us free from bad works, from our sins, by which Satan held sway over us. For if any one has been set free from his sins, the prince of sinners hath not whence he may hold sway over him.

5. For how did He turn away the captivity of Jacob? See,howthat that setting free is spiritual, see how that it is done inwardly. (Ver. 2.) THiou hast forgiven, he saith, the iniquity 0f Thy people: TJiou hast covered all their sins. Behold 'how He hath turned away their captivity, in that He hath remitted iniquity: iniquity held them captive; thy iniquity forgiven, thou art freed. Confess therefore that thou art in captivity, that thou mayest be worthy to be freed: for he that knoweth not of his enemy, how can he invoke the liberator? Thou hast covered all their sins. What is, Thou hast covered f So as not to see them. How didst Thou not see them? So as not to take vengeance on them. Thou wast unwilling to see our sins: and therefore savvest Thou them not, because Thou wouldest not see them: Thou hast covered all their sins. (Ver. 3.) 'Thou hast appeased all Thy anger: Thou hast turned Thyself from Thy wrathful indignation.

(y. And as these things are said of the future, though the sound of the words is past, it follows: (ver. 4.) Turn us, 0 God of our salvation. That which he had just related as if it were done, how prayeth he that it may be done, except because he wished to shew that he had spoken as if of the past in prophecy? But that it was not yet done which he had said was done he sheweth by this, that he prayeth that it may be done: Turn us, 0 God of our salvation, and turn away Thine anger from us. Didst thou not say before, Thou hast turned away the captivity of Jacob, Thou hast covered all their sins: Thou hast appeased all Thy anger, Thou hast turned Thyself from Thy wrathful indignation? How then now sayest thou, And turn away Thine anger from us? The Prophet answereth: These things I speak of as done, because I see them about to be done: but because they are not yet done, I pray that they may come, which 1 have already seen. Turn away Thine anger from us.

7. Ver. 5. Be not angry with us for ever. For by the anger of God we are subject to death, and by the anger of God we eat bread on this earth in want, and in the sweat of our face. This was Adam's sentence when he sinned; and that Adam was every one of us, for in Adam all die; the sentence passed on him hath taken effect after him ou us. For we were not yet ourselves, but we were in Adam: therefore whatever happened to Adam himself took effect on us also, so that we should die: for we all were in him. What we have from Adam, what by grace from Christ. 171 For those sins of parents belong not to the children, which the parents commit after the children are bora: for the children being now born belong unto themselves, and the parents belong unto themselves. Therefore those who have been born, if they keep the evil ways of their parents, must bear also their deserts: but if they have changed themselves, and have not imitated their bad parents, they begin to have a merit of their own, not the merit of their parents. So far as this the sin of thy father hurts thee not, if thou hast changed thyself, even as it would not hurt thy father if he had changed himself. But that which our stock hath received unto its subjection to death, it hath derived from Adam. What hath it so derived? That frailty of the flesh, this torture of pains, this house of poverty, this chain of death, and snares of temptations; all these things we carry about in this flesh; and this is the anger of God, because it is the vengeance of God. But because it was so to be, that we should be regenerated, and by believing should be made new, and all that mortality was to be removed in our resurrection, and the whole man was to be restored in newness; for as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive; seeing this the Prophet saith, Be not angry with us for ever, nor stretch out Thy wrath from one generation to another. The first generation was mortal by Thy wrath: the second generation shall be immortal by Thy mercy.

8. What then? Was this thy own work, O man, that thou deservedst the mercy of God, in that thou wast converted unto Him; and have they who have not been converted, not found mercy, but wrath? And what then? Couldest thou cause that thou shouldest be converted, if thou hadst not been called? Was it not He Who called thee when turned away, Who caused that thou shouldest be turned unto Him? Seek not thou to claim even thy conversion for thyself, for if He had not called thee when a fugitive, thou couldest not have turned unto Him. Therefore the Prophet, ascribing to God the benefit of his conversion, prays thus, and says:

Ver. 6. O God, Thou shalt turn us again, and make us alive. Not as if we ourselves of our own accord, without Thy mercy, turn unto Thee, and then Thou shalt make us Life and joy not in ourselves but in Christ alive: but, Thou shalt turn us again, and make us alive: tjjat nQt on|^ our ^ejng ma(je a]ive is from Thee, but our very conversion that we may be made alive. Thou, O God, shalt turn us again, and make us alive: and Thy people shall rejoice in Thee. To their own evil they shall rejoice in themselves: to their own good they shall rejoice in Thee. For when they wished to have joy of themselves, they found in themselves woe: but now because God is all our joy, he that will rejoice securely let himrejoice in Him Who cannot perish. For why, my brethren, will ye rejoice in silver? Either thy silver perisheth, or thou: and no one knows which first: yet this is certain, that both shall perish; which first, is uncertain. For neither can man remain here always, nor can silver remain here always: so too gold, so garments, so houses, so money, so broad lands, so, lastly, this light itself. Be not thou willing then to rejoice in these: but rejoice in that light which hath no setting: rejoice in that dawn which no yesterday precedes, which no to-morrow follows. What light is that? I, saith He, am the Light of the world. He Who saith unto thee, 1 am the Light of the world, calls thee to Himself. When He calls thee, He converts thee: when he converts thee, He healeth thee: when He hath healed thee, thou shalt see thy Converter, unto Whom it is said, And Thy people shall rejoice in Thee.

9. Ver. 7. Shew us Thy mercy, O Lord. This is what we been singing before1, and we have already spoken of the same. Shew us Tliy mercy, O Lord, and grant us Thy salvation: Thy salvation, that is, Thy Christ. Happy is he unto whom God sheweth His mercy. He it is who cannot indulge in pride, unto whom God sheweth His mercy. For by shewing him His salvation He persuadetb him that whatever good man has, he hath not but from Him Who is all our good. And when a man has seen that whatever good he has he hath not from himself, but from his God; he sees that every thing which is praised in him is of the mercy of God, not of his own deserving; and seeing this, he is not proud; not being proud, he is not lifted up; not lifting himself up, he falleth not; not falling, he standeth; standing, he clingeth fast; clinging fast, he abideth; abiding, he enjoyeth, and rejoiceth in the Lord his God. He who made him shall be unto him a delight: and his delight no one spoileth, no one interrupteth, no one taketh away. What powerful man will threaten to take it away? what bad neighbour, what robber, what plotter taketh away God from thee? Though he can take from thee all what thou hast in the body, he taketh not away Him Whom thou hast in thy heart. This is that mercy which I pray may God shew unto us. Shew us T7iy mercy, O Lord, and grant us Thy salvation: grant unto us Thy Christ, for in Him is Thy mercy. Let us too say unto Him, Grant unto us Thy Christ. Already indeed He hath given unto us His Christ: yet still let us say unto Him, Grant unto us Thy Christ, for still we say unto Him, Give us this day our daily bread. And who is our bread, but He Himself Who said, I am the living bread which came down from heaven. Let us say unto Him, Give unto us Thy Christ. He hath indeed already given unto us Christ, but as Man; Him Whom He hath given unto us as Man, He will give unto us as God. To men He gave Man: such He gave to men as men could receive; for as God no man could receive Christ. He became Man unto men, He reserved Himself as God for gods Have I spoken arrogantly? Arrogantly indeed, if He had not Himself said, / said, Ye are gods, and ye are all the children of the Highest. We are renewed even unto adoption, so as to be made sons of God. Already indeed we are so, but by faith; we are so in hope, we are not yet such in reality. For by hope we are saved, as saith the Apostle. But hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, how doth he hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. What do we with patience wait for, except to see what we believe? For now we believe what we see not: by abiding in that which believing we see not, we shall deserve to see that which we believe. Therefore, what saith John in his Epistle? Beloved, now are we the sons of Qod, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be. Who would not rejoice, if suddenly while he was wandering abroad, ignorant of his descent, suffering want, and in a state of misery and toil, it were announced, Thou art the son of a senator: thy father enjoys an ample patrimony on your family estate; I bid thee return to thy father: how would he rejoice, if this were said to him by some one whose promise he could trust? One ' whom we can trust, an Apostle of Christ, hath come and said to us, What is the reason that ye despair of yourselves? why do ye afflict yourselves, and wear yourselves down with grief; why do ye choose, following your own desires, to suffer grief in want of those other joys? Ye have a father, ye have a country, ye have an inheritance. Who is that father? Beloved, we are the sons of Ood. Wherefore then see we not yet our Father? Because it hath not yet appeared what we shall be. We are that now, but in hope: for what we shall be hath not yet appeared. And what shall we be? We know, saith he, that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. But hath he said this of the Father, and not of the Son our Lord Jesus Christ? and shall we then be blessed in seeing the Father, not the Son? Hear Christ Himself: He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father. For when the One God is seen, the Trinity is seen, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Hear more expressly that the vision of the Son Himself shall give unto us blessedness, and that there is no difference between the vision of Him and the vision of the Father. He Himself saith in the Gospel: He that loveth Me keepeth My commands, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself unto him. He spoke unto them, and said, / will manifest Myself unto him. Wherefore? was it not the same Person Who was speaking? but flesh could see flesh; the heart did not yet the Deity. For this cause did flesh see flesh, that by faith the heart might be cleansed that it might see God. For it was said of the Lord, Purifying their hearts by faith: an(* the Lord said, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Therefore He 1 promised us to shew Himself unto us. Think, my brethren, what His beauty is. All those Deautiful things which ye see, which ye love, He made. If these are beautiful, what is He Himself? If these are great, how great is He? Therefore from these things which we love here, let us the more long for Him: and despising these things, let us love Him: that by that very love we may by faith purify our hearts, and His vision, when it cometh, may find our heart purified. The light which shall be shewn unto us ought to find us whole: this is the work of faith now. This is what we have spoken here: And grant us Thy salvation: grant us Thy Christ, that we may know Thy Christ, see Thy Christ; not as the Jews saw Him and crucified Him, but as the Angels see Him, and rejoice.

10. Ver. 8, 9. 1 will hearken what the Lord God shall speak in me. The Prophet spoke: God spoke within in him, and the world made a noise without. Therefore, retiring for a little from the noise of the world, and turning himself back upon himself, and from himself upon Him Whose voice he heard within; sealing up his ears, as it were, against the tumultuous disquietude of this life, and against the soul weighed down by the corruptible body,and against the imagination, that through the earthly tabernacle pressing down1, thinketh on many^xf. things, he saith, / «ri7/ hearken what the Lord God speaketh in me; and he heard, what? For He shall speak Peace^^'g unto His people. The voice of Christ, then, the voice of God, is peace: it calleth unto peace. Ho! it saith, who-soever are not yet in peace, love ye peace: for what can ye find better from Me than peace? What is peace? Where there is no war. What is this, where there is no war? Where there is no contradiction, where there is no resistance, nothing to oppose. Consider if we are yet there: consider if there is not now a conflict with the devil, if all the saints and faithful ones wrestle not with the prince of daemons. And how do they wrestle with him whom they see not? They wrestle with their own desires, by which he suggests unto them sins: and by not consenting to what he suggests, though they are not conquered, yet they fight. Therefore there is not yet peace where there is fighting. Or give me a man who suffers no temptation in his flesh, so that he can say to me, that he now has peace. Perhaps indeed he suffers no temptations to unlawful pleasures, yet he suffers the mere suggestions: either something is suggested to him which he refuses, or he is pleased with something which he must keep under. But, lo! nothing unlawful now gives him pleasure; yet he has to struggle daily against hunger and thirst; for what just man is not exposed to this? Hunger then and thirst fight against us, the weariness of the flesh fights against us, enjoyment of sleep fights against us, oppression fights. We would watch, and we fall asleep: we would fast, and we hunger and thirst: we would stand, ' and we fail from fatigue: we wish to sit, yet if we do even this long, we become tired. Whatever we provide for our refreshment, there again we find weariness. Art thou hungry? one asks thee: thou answerest, I am. He places food before thee for thy refreshment; continue thou to use it, for thou hadst need of it; yet in continuing that which thou needest for refreshment, therein findest thou weariness. By long sitting thou wast tired; thou risest and refreshest thyself by walking; continue that relief, and by much walk^ ing thou art wearied; again thou wouldest sit down. Find me any thing by which thou art refreshed, wherein if thou continue thou dost not again become weary. What peace then is that which men have here, opposed by so many troubles, desires, wants, wearinesses? This is no true, no perfect peace. What will be perfect peace? This corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality; then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written. Death is swallowed up in victory. 0 death, where is thy sting t O grave, where is thy struggle? For where there is as yet mortality, how can there be full peace? It is from death that weariness cometh, which we find in all our pleasures. From death it is, since we carry a mortal body: which indeed the Apostle calls dead, even before its separation from the soul: The body, saith he, is dead because of sin. For if thou persevere in that by which thou art refreshed, thou wilt even die. Persevere in eating much; this itself will kill thee: persevere in fasting much, by this thou wilt die: sit continually, being resolved not to rise up, by this thou wilt die: be always walking so as never to take rest, by this thou wilt die; watch continually, taking no sleep, by this thou wilt die; sleep continually, never watching, thus too thou wilt die. When therefore death shall be swallowed up in victory, these things shall no longer be: there will be full and eternal peace. We shall be in a City, of which, brethren, when I speak I find it hard to leave off, especially when offences wax common. Who would not long for that City whence no friend goeth out, whither no enemy entereth, where is no tempter, no seditious person, no one dividing God's people, no one weaiyiDg the Church in the service of the deyil; since the prince himself of all such is cast into eternal fire, and with him those who c.onsent unto him, and who have no will to retire from him? There shall be peace made pure in the sons of God, all loving one another, seeing one another full of God, since God shall be all in all. We shall have God as our common object of vision, God as our common possession, Grfd as our common peace. For whatever there is which He now giveth unto us, He Himself shall be unto us instead of His gifts; this will be full and perfect peace. This He speaketh unto His people: this it was which he would hearken unto who said, I will hearken what the Lord Qod will say unto me: for He shall apeak peace unto His people, and to His saints, and unto those who turn their hearts unto Him. Lo, my brethren, do ye wish that unto you should belong that peace which God uttereth? Turn your heart unto Him: not unto me, or unto that one, or unto any man. For whatever man would turn unto himself the hearts of men, he falleth with them. Which is better, that thou fall with him unto whom thou turnest thyself, or that thou stand with Him with Whom thou turnest thyself? Our joy, our peace, our rest, the end of all troubles, is none but God: blessed are they that turn their hearts unto Him.

1 1. Ver. 9. Nevertheless, His salvation is nigh them that fear Him. There were some even then who feared Him in. the Jewish people. Every where throughout the earth idols were worshipped: devils were feared, not God: in that nation God was feared. But why was He feared? In the Old Testament He was feared, lest He should give them up to captivity, lest He should take away their land from them, lest He should destroy their vines with hail, lest He should make their wives barren, lest He should take away their children from them. For these carnal promises of God captivated their minds, which as yet were of small growth, and for these things God was feared: but He was near unto them who even for these things feared Him. The Pagan prayed for land to the devil: the Jew prayed for land to God: it was the same thing which they prayed for, but not the same to whom they prayed. The latter, though seeking what the Pagan sought, yet was distinguished from the Pagan; for He sought it of Him Who had made all thfagg^ And God, Who was far1 from the Gentiles, was near1 unto them: yet He had regard even to those who were afar off, and to those who were near, as the Apostle said: ^e came anc^ preached peace to you who were afar off, and to them that were near. Whom did He mean by those near? The Jews, because they2 worshipped one God. Whom by those who were afar off? The Gentiles, because they had left Him by Whom they were made, and worshipped things which themselves had made. For it is not in space that any one is far from God, but in affections. Thou lovest God, thou art near unto Him. Thou hatest God, thou art far off. Thou art standing in the same place, both while thou art near and far off. This it was, my brethren, which the Prophet had regard to: although he saw the mercy of God extending over all, yet he saw something especial and peculiar shewn toward the Jews, and he saith, Nevertheless, I will hearken what the Lord God shall say unto me: for He shall speak peace unto His people; and His people shall be, not Judaea only, but it shall be gathered together out of all nations: For he shall speak peace unto His Saints, and to those who turn their hearts unto Himy and to all who shall turn their hearts unto Him from the whole world. Nevertheless, His salvation shall be nigh them that fear Him, that glory may dwell in our land: that is, in that land in which the Prophet was born, greater glory shall dwell, because; Christ began to be preached from thence. Thence were the Apostles, and thither first they were sent; from thence were the Prophets, there first was the Temple, there sacrifice was made to God, there were the Patriarchs, there He Himself came of the seed of Abraham, there Christ was manifested, there Christ appeared; for from thence was the Virgin Mary who bore Christ. There He walked with His feet, there He worked miracles. Thirdly, He ascribed so great honour to that nation, that when a certain Canaanitish woman interrupted Him, praying for the healing of her daughter, He said unto her, lam not sent but unto the lost sheep qf the house of Israel. Seeing this, the Prophet saith, Nevertheless, His salvation is nigh them that fear Him, that glory may dwell in our land.

12. Ver. 10. Mercy and truth have met together \ { Truth in our land,' in a Jewish person, * mercy' in the land of the Gentiles. For where was truth? Where the utterances of God were. Where was mercy? On those who had left their God, and turned themselves unto devils. Did He look down 1 also upon them? Yea, as if he said, Call those who are fugitives afar off, who have departed far from Me: call them, let them find Me Who seek them, since they themselves would not seek Mer Therefore, Mercy and truth have met together: righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Do righteousness, and thou shalt have peace; that righteousness and peace may kiss each other. For if thou love not righteousness, thou shalt not have peace; for those two, righteousness and peace, love one another, and kiss one another: that he who hath done righteousness may find peace kissing righteousness. They two are friends: thou perhaps wiliest the one, and not the other: for there is no one who wills not peace: but all will not work righteousness. Ask all men, Wiliest thou peace? With one mouth the whole race of man answers thee, I wish, 1 desire, I will, I love it. Love also righteousness: for these two, righteousness and peace, are friends; they kiss one another: if thou love not the friend of peace, peace itself will not love thee, nor come unto thee. For what great thing is it to desire peace? Every bad man longeth for peace. For peace is a good thing. But do righteousness, for righteousness and peace kiss one another, they quarrel not together. Wherefore dost thou quarrel with righteousness? Lo, righteousness saith unto thee, Thou shalt not steal, and thou nearest Exod. not; Thou shalt not commit adultery, and thou wilt not hear, fjj^ii Do not to another what thou wouldest not suffer, say not to another what thou wouldest not have said to thyself. Thcto art an enemy to my friend, saith peace unto thee; why seekest thou me? I am the friend of righteousness: whenever I find an enemy of my friend, him I go not near. Wilt then attain unto peace? Do righteousness. Therefore Psalm saith unto thee: Eschew evil, and do good;Ps. is to love righteousness:) and when thou hast eschewed U* and done good, seek peace, and ensue it. For now thou 180 Truth out of earthy Christ from woman, confession from man9 shalt not have to seek it long, for it shall itself meet thee, it may kiss righteousness.

13. Ver. 11. Truth hath sprung out of the earth, and righteousness hath looked down from heaven. Truth hath sprung out of the earth: Christ is born of a woman. Truth hath sprung out of the earth: the Son of God hath come forth of the flesh. What is truth? The Son of God. What is the earth? Flesh. Ask whence Christ was born, and thou seest that Truth is sprung out of the earth. But the Truth Which sprang out of the earth was before the earth, and by It the heaven and the earth were made: but in order that righteousness might look down from heaven, that is, in order that men might be justified by Divine grace, Truth was born of the Virgin Mary; that He might be able to offer a sacrifice to justify them, the sacrifice of suffering, the sacrifice of the Cross, And how could He offer a sacrifice for our sins, except He died? How could He die, except He received from us that wherein He might die; that is, unless He received from us mortal flesh, Christ could not have died: because the Word dieth not, Godhead dieth not, the Virtue and Wisdom of God doth not die. How should He offer a sacrifice, a healing victim, if He died not? How should He die, unless He clothed Himself with flesh? How should He put on flesh, except truth sprang out of the earth? Truth hath sprung out of the earth, and righteousness hath looked down from heaven.

14. On the same passage we may mention another meaning. Truth is sprung out of the earth: confession from man. For thou, O man, wast a sinner. O earth, who when thou hadst sinned didst hear the sentence, Earth thou art, and unto earth shalt thou return, from thee let truth spring, that righteousness may look down from heaven. How doth truth spring from thee, whilst thou art a sinner, whilst thou art unrighteous? Confess thy sins, and truth shall spring out of thee. For if whilst thou art unrighteous, thou callest thyself just, how can truth spring out of thee? But if being unrighteous thou dost confess thyself to be so, truth hath sprung out of the earth. Remark that Publican praying in the Temple far off from the Pharisee, who did not Righteousness looks down from Heaven in answer. 181 even dare to lift up his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, Lord, be merciful to me a sinner: lo, truth hath sprung out of the earth, because confession of sins hath been made by man. What follows then? Verily / say unto you, that that Publican went down to his house justified rather than the Pharisee: for "every one that exalteth himself shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted? Truth is sprung out of the earth, in confession of sins: and righteousness hath looked down from heaven, so that this Publican went down justified rather than the Pharisee. For that ye may know that truth belongeth to confession of sins, John the Evangelist says, If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and truth is not in us. Hear him now how he goes on to say how truth springs out of the earth, that righteousness may look down from heaven: If we confess our sins, He is faitfful and just to forgive us our sins, and fo1,9# cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Therefore, Truth is sprung out of the earth, and righteousness hath looked down from heaven. What righteousness hath looked down from heaven? It is that of God, as though He said: Let us spare this man, for he spareth not himself: let us pardon him, for he himself confesseth. He is changed so as to punish his sin: I too will change, so as to set him free. Truth is sprung out of the earth, and righteousness hath looked down from heaven.

15. Ver. 12. For the Lord shall give sweetness, and our land shall yield her fruit, There is one verse left: I hope you will not be tired with what I have to say. Listen, brethren, to a subject which is necessary to understand: listen, comprehend, carry it away with you, and let not the seed of God be without effect in your hearts. Truth, be saith, is sprung out of the earth, confession of sins, that is, from men: and righteousness hath looked down from heaven9 that is, justification has been given by the Lord God to him who confesses, that the wicked may acknowledge that he * cannot become godly except He make him so unto Whom he confesses, except he believe in Him Who justifieth the ungodly. Thy own sins therefore thou canst have: good6, 182 God giveth a sweetness in working righteousness. fruit thou canst have none of, except He give it thee, unto thou makest confession. Therefore when he had said, Truth is sprung out of the earthy and righteousness hath looked down from heaven, as if he were asked, What is it that thou saidst, Righteousness hath looked down from heaven; he continues, For the Lord shall give sweetness, and our land shall give her increase. Let us therefore look back upon ourselves: and if we find in ourselves nothing but sins, let us hate sins, and long for righteousness. For when we have begun to hate sins, that very hatred of sins straightway begins to make us like God, because we hate that which God also hateth. When therefore thou hast begun to hate sins and to confess to God, when unlawful delights hurry thee away, and draw thee to those things which profit not, make complaint to God: and confessing unto Him thy sins, thou shalt deserve from Him delight, and He will give unto thee the sweetness of working righteousness, so that righteousness shall begin to delight thee, whom before unrighteousness delighted: so that thou who at first didst delight in drunkenness, shalt rejoice in sobriety: and thou who didst at first rejoice in theft, so as to take from another man what thou hadst not, shalt seek to give to him that hath not that which thou hast: and thou who didst take delight in robbing, shalt delight now in giving: thou whom shows delighted, shalt delight in prayer; thou who didst delight in trifling and lascivious songs, shalt now delight in singing hymns to God; in running to church, thou who at first didst run to the theatre. Whence is that sweetness born to thee, except from this, that God giveth sweetness, and our land shall give her increase? For, behold, ye see what I mean: behold, I have spoken unto you the word of God, I have sown seed in your devout hearts, finding your souls furrowed, as it were, with the plough of confession: with devout attention ye have received the seed; think now upon the word which ye have heard, like those who break up the clods, lest the fowls should carry away the seed, that what is sown may be able to spring up there: and unless God rain upon it, what profits it that it is sown? This is what is meant by the Lord shall give sweetness, and our land shall give her increase. May He with His visitations, Just confession makes a way for God's steps. 183 in leisure, in business, in your house, in your bed, at mealtime, in conversation, in walks, visit your hearts, when we are not by. May the rain of God come and make to sprout what is sown there: and when we are not by, and are resting quietly, or otherwise employed, may God give increase to the seeds which we have sown, that remarking afterwards your improved characters, we too may rejoice for your fruit. For the Lord shall give sweetness, and our land shall give her increase. *•

16. Ver. 14. For righteousness shall go before him, and he shall direct his steps in the way: that righteousness, namely, which consists in confession of sins: for this is truth itself. For thou oughtest to be righteous towards thyself, and to punish thyself: for this is the beginning of man's righteousness, that thou shouldest punish thyself, who art evil, and God should make thee good. Therefore since this is the beginning of man's righteousness, this becomes a way for God, that God may come unto thee: there make for Him a way, in confession of sins. Therefore John too, when he was baptizing in the water of repentance, and would have men come to him repenting of their former deeds, spoke thus; Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight. Thou didst please thyself in thy sins, O man: let that which3' thou wast displease thee, that thou mayest be able to become what thou wast not. Prepare the way of the Lord: let that righteousness go before, of confession of sins: He will come and visit thee, for He shall place His steps in the way: for now He hath where to place His steps, He hath whereby He may come to thee. Before thou didst confess thy sins, thou hadst shut up the way of God: there was no way by which He might come unto thee. Confess thy past life, and thou openest a way; and Christ shall come unto thee, and shall place His steps in the way, that He may guide thee with His own footsteps.